Monday, March 21, 2016

Toronto

Rochester dominates the category of "big-city culture, small-town convenience." The region provides a majority of what makes huge cities great while minimizing the factors that make huge cities painful. But on (rare) occasion, a field trip to a huge city can be invigorating, and having one available can help complement life in a more mid-sized metro. In Rochester's case, directly across Lake Ontario lies arguably one of the world's greatest cities, Toronto. The need to drive around the lake turns a 90-mile trip into a 165-mile journey, but here are a few reasons why the occasional visit is warranted:

With a population of 2.8 million, the city of Toronto is the fourth largest in North America.

3 comments:

There's more. Toronto is Rochester's gateway to the rest of the world. It's the megalopolis we can drive to and from in a day. From YYZ one can fly to all 5 continents without changing planes. At risk of sounding impolite, on the whole Canadian society is lots more prosocial than BosWash. I love it even in the winter. They aren't moaning about weather like some people here. They are having fun. It's called life. I've never understand why Rochester doesn't look north more.

I totally agree - Toronto is a gateway to the world, both through its people and its airport. And I don't think it's impolite to state that the people create a vibe that is unique and definitely pleasant relative to BosWash. Finally, the whining about weather in Rochester is quite possibly the worst part of living here (and definitely way worse than the weather itself.)

Advertisement

Advertisement

About Me

In 2010, my wife and I moved to Rochester, NY. This move was not prompted by necessity, family, or another involuntary factor. We were community physicians, and we could have taken our trades essentially anywhere. Between the two of us, we had lived in New York City, Boston, and Washington D.C. We knew a total of zero people in Rochester. Why then would we leave the BosWash corridor for a much maligned city on the fringes of the Rust Belt and in the heart of the Snowbelt?
Because our research had revealed a surprising phenomenon. We had not discovered the dying industrial region that is portrayed by popular perception. To the contrary, we had uncovered a progressive history, artistic excellence, remarkable ingenuity, elite (suburban) public education, and economic determination. How, we asked ourselves, could such an enriching region have such a marginal reputation? We have since termed this discrepancy as the Rochester Phenomenon. While the Rochester Phenomenon has a certain charm, the future of this region depends in part on bridging the gap between perception and reality. It is hoped that this blog can contribute to this process, if even in a miniscule way.